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Chemistry vocabulary · Solutions and Concentration

Dilute

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

/daɪˈluːt/verbCore term

In chemistry, dilute means: To make a solution weaker by adding more solvent, usually water. As an adjective, the word describes a solution with a low concentration.

In Turkish: seyreltmek, seyreltik

How it is used

Used daily when you prepare solutions. You dilute a sample tenfold or '1 in 10', dilute 'to the mark' or 'with water', and calculate with C₁V₁ = C₂V₂. The noun is 'dilution'; the opposite adjective is 'concentrated'.

Example sentences

  1. Dilute 10 mL of the stock solution to 100 mL with distilled water.

  2. We used dilute hydrochloric acid to clean the electrodes.

Common collocations

  • dilute with water
  • dilute to the mark
  • dilute tenfold
  • dilute acid
  • serial dilution
  • concentrationThe amount of a substance in a given volume of solution or mixture, for example in moles per liter (mol/L), grams per liter or parts per million (ppm).
  • molarityA measure of concentration: the number of moles of solute in one liter of solution. Its unit is mol/L, written M and read 'molar'.
  • solutionA uniform mixture in which one substance (the solute) is completely dissolved in another (the solvent). Salt water and sugar dissolved in tea are everyday examples.
  • volumetric flaskA pear-shaped flask with a long narrow neck and a single line marked on it. Filled to that line, it holds one exact volume, so it is used to prepare standard solutions.
  • strong acidAn acid that ionizes almost completely in water, releasing nearly all of its hydrogen ions. Hydrochloric, nitric and sulfuric acid are common examples.

More terms: Solutions and Concentration

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